Bollywood singer Mohammed Rafi remembered

Bollywood singer Mohammed Rafi remembered

By Punjab Newspaper Service on December 26th, 2009

Decades have passed since the death of legendary singer Mohammed Rafi, but his memories are still fresh in the mind of millions of his fans. On the eve of his 85th birthday a number of his fans and music lovers gathered yesterday to remember their favourite singer at Film Division Auditorium.

On this occasion a short film on the life of and songs of legendary singer was screened. This film, titled Rafi-Tum Bahut Yaad Aaye, has been produced by the Films Division.

The biography on the life of yesteryears’ Bollywood beauty and Mohammad Rafi’s contemporary Madhubala (Madhubala : Dard ka Safar) was also released on the occasion by Sh Rashid Alvi (MP). This is the first biography of Madhubala in Hindi and is written by prestigious Bhartendu Harishchandra Award winner Mrs. Sushila Kumari. This book is published by Sachi Prakashan. “Madhubala is generally remembered for her matchless beauty and seductive smile, but very few people know that her life was full of pain and struggle, said Mrs. Sushila Kumari.

On this occassion Mr. Kuldeep Sinha, the Producer and Director of the Film said that making of a film on Mohammad Rafi is like an old dream come true. He had been thinking about making a film on Rafi Sahab, since the death of Mohammad Rafi in 1980. He had actually discussed with Great Music Director Naushad about his dream project and he had promised to give full cooperation but due to some unavoidable reasons he could not make this film at that time.

A seminar on the songs and different aspects of the singer’s life was also organised. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Amarjit Singh Kohli, Chairman of Sakha and Yaadgar- E- Rafi, said that Rafi due to his versatility has the greatest fan following amongst young upcoming singers. The possibility of training young singers through a course of Rafi’s songs (classical, light & other shades)selected by music researchers, could be seriously explored. Former Director of Doordarshan Sharad Dutt said that genius of Rafi can be gauged from the fact that Shanker Jaikishan used Rafi’s voice in song “Ajab Hai Dastaan Teri Ai Zindgi” (film Shararat) which was picturised on singing hero Kishore Kumar. Music Expert Dr. Mukesh Garg said that Rafi’s popularity is increasing with time & he has defied age. Singer Priyamvada Vashisht, daughter of music director Husan Lal (of Husan Lal-Bhagat Ram fame) said that Rafi’s range was matchless. She said Rafi’s song “Suno suno ai duniya walo, bapu ji ki amar kahani” composed by her father Husan Lal after the death of Mahatma Gandhi, had become a rage in those times. Sh Manpreet Singh Badal, finance minister, Punjab, in a message to Society said “ I am a great fan of Rafi Sahib for he epitomized the human excellence in the field of music blended with finest qualities of man. I would be happy to be part of any such programme anywhere and anytime”.

Writer and Journalist, Vinod Viplav, author of the first biography of Mohammad Rafi Meri Awaz Suno said that the contributions of Mohammad Rafi have been neglected on various levels. People usually remember him as the best singer or the best man while he is more than that – he is the symbol of communal harmony, secularism and national integration and he must be remembered in this form.